Fans of Le Television

(feel free to judge my French)

I scoped out the forum a little bit, and although I found a thread on Anime and Movies, I didn't see one for discussing TV shows! Well, this thread is for hyping up your favorite shows, and finding some new stuff to check out.

I personally don't watch a lot of actual tv(too many commericals), but I'm always trying to find shows with fresh ideas to get into. HBO is my drug of choice, and I heartily recommend that you all run out and watch one of their season-length dramas ASAP.

HBO's Oz is quite possibly one of the greatest shows I've ever seen, and also one of the most graphic. It really, really makes you not want to go to prison, but at the same time, transforms every faceless criminal you've ever heard of on the news into a feeling human being. I would have thought it very difficult to feel pity for a white supremist nazi gangleader until I watched this show, and I am not very sympathetic when it comes to discrimination. If you can handle the extremely sensitive topics Oz tackles, and lack of sugarcoating the monstrosities of prison(see Prison Break), then you should go out and watch this show immediately. It's purely character-driven, as well, which is something fans of Shoujo Kakumei Utena can appreciate.

Oz is up there with Xena: Warrior Princess as one of my favorite, and easily rewatchable tv shows. I grew up on Xena, and it just sort of stuck with me. It's such a great, campy show, and the directors really have fun with it - did you know that Xena not only saved Helen from the Battle of Troy, but also discovered Jesus and put Lucifer in Hell? And obviously she was the one who convinced Brutus to killed Caesar. Seriously, I can't express how much I love this show.

I've only recently got ahold of Deadwood, another HBO series, and so far it looks awesome. The set looks authentic, and the whole atmosphere of the show suits the wild west so well. I can't wait to watch more. It almost reminds me of Carnivale, but I think maybe the setting of each just shares a similar dry climate.

So, what shows do you guys like? Any amazing series we should all run out and watch right away? Or, even better, any god-awful tv shows that should be thrown into a giant virtual furnace and burned?

Re: Fans of Le Television

The problem with endorsing or describing these is that we've had a thread on Rome already, and Gio and I always fap to death over Tony Bourdain. I feel like I'm saying things everyone knows already.

But then, I had to be convinced to watch both of those. I haven't turned on the television to watch TV in more than six years, so the fact that I would still watch these shows (even if they were downloaded) should mean something.

Re: Fans of Le Television

I don't watch TV. I've made occasional exceptions, but as a very good general rule, if you want me to watch a TV show, you have to hand me the DVDs or point me to a website where I can get streaming video.

Nevertheless, a number of very good series have managed to infiltrate my consciousness. I'm an unapologetic Whedonite; I think Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Firefly were all masterpieces. (And you have no idea how hard it is for me to say that about Buffy. I spent high school making fun of that show without ever having actually watched it. Then in college I saw a couple episodes. Then I demanded, and got, the whole show burned on DVD-ROM and tore through it in a couple weeks. Wow.) Of these three shows, I like Firefly best; maybe it's just that the premise never had time to grow stale in the show's one short season, but I love the characters almost as much as Utena's, and for similar reasons. The fact that it's gritty and funny, and that so much of the humor is derived organically from the characters and their interactions, is part of what elevates the show above run-of-the-mill sci-fi.

Contrast Battlestar Galactica -- the new one. It's also a fascinating show, and it has its share of deep characters, but by and large the interest derives from the show's plot. Unlike Firefly or Star Trek, it's not fundamentally episodic; you can't watch Galactica episodes in a random order and expect to understand what's going on, because the plot actually moves, sometimes very quickly. Lost is similar in that regard; like Galactica, it's a show where the characters are mostly there to serve the plot, though certainly they are drawn carefully and often sensitively. And what plots Galactica and Lost have! Both shows have fooled me repeatedly and left me gaping at the screen!

What about the other kind of show -- the Firefly kind, where the plot is mostly there to give the characters a chance to shine? House, MD qualifies. In fact, it's even more extreme; everything but Greg House, from the plot to the other characters to the musical score, ultimately serves the sole purpose of illuminating Greg House. I'm getting a little bored with the show for that exact reason -- House doesn't grow enough to keep repeated examination of his character new and interesting -- but I do like the medical drama. The West Wing is another one. Politics is not a fundamentally fascinating subject for most people, including me, if you can believe that. No one would have watched the West Wing if not for its deeply flawed but entirely likeable cast. The fireworks in the interpersonal interactions were what made the show worthwhile and fantastic. (It's also what Sorkin's later project, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, was missing that made it a flop.)

That's... actually more TV shows than I was conscious I'd seen, let alone liked. I should see Xena; everyone seems to agree it's fantastic.

Re: Fans of Le Television

My mother and I are insane fans of Rescue Me, but I know that not everyone on this forum is so fond of Leary. I have an unhealthy addiction to America's Next Top Model, and I am slightly ashamed of that. Let's see... I try to catch House, M.D. when I can, and the same goes for Dexter.

I don't watch too much TV...

ah, man does not exist; ah, within the darkness; ah, the sound of the waves

Re: Fans of Le Television

I love love love love all forms of Law & Order. I watch it very nearly religiously.

Heroes, of course, because. Y'know. Heroes. But it hasn't been on in a while. Booooo.

While it was on, I really adored Bionic Woman, but mainly for BW's love interest Tom, played by Jordan Bridges. [He was on Conviction, which was an offshoot of L&O, which I also liked. ]

Monk and Psych are on NBC for a undisclosed amount of time, and this makes me very very happy, because I happen love love love both of these shows to death.

I thoroughly enjoyed Smallville up until a certain point, but I can't remember where that point is anymore. Probably where they keep whaling on the Clark/Lana dynamic to the point where the audience wants to kill themselves. D:

30 Rock is really fun to watch. The cast is wonderful and Tina Fey is an amazing writer yaye. -LESSTHANTHREEEEE-

Re: Fans of Le Television

Unfortunately, my lack of a social life has me watching TV all the time. So what do I watch?

I try to get home in time to catch the re-air of Tyra's talk show. I think she wants to be a young Oprah, but she's not much above Ricki Lake (just with fewer drag queens).

Then I watch the news for about 3 hours, flipping between channels. By then it's 7pm, prime time.

Mondays are my first comedy night of the week. I watch The Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother. The first show is probably the nerdiest show since Battlebots went off the air, and I it! The four guys on the show are these socially-stunted, awkward geeks in their early 20's. One borders on normal, and he's the one that's in love with the hot, less intelligent blonde across the hall. They are our people. truly. After that goes off, I end up watching Two and a Half Men because I'm too lazy to change the channel. Then it's whatever crappy show is on VH1, and I go to bed.

Tuesdays suck until 9pm when Boston Legal comes on. Of course, now it's moving to Wednesdays, which is going to make Tuesday suck EVEN MORE.

Wednesdays are "Reality TV night" most of the year. I start with America's Next Top Coathanger--I mean, Model. (I think dollface, St0dad, and I are the only ones who watch this.) That's followed by watching a re-airing of last week's Project Runway, Top Chef, or whatever's on Bravo. Then I watch the new episode of that show.

Thursdays are the second comedy night with The Office, Scrubs, 30 Rock, and My Name is Earl. The TV doesn't move for 2 hours. I'm so addicted to Thursday nights, it's ridiculous. I haven't felt this attached to NBC's Thursday lineup since The Cosby Show went off the air in 1992.

Fridays usually suck too, because it hasn't been good since TGIF died on ABC. So I rely on cable. Lots of What Not to Wear, 10 Years Younger, and The Soup on E!. Now that the Writers' Strike is over, I can go back to watching Moonlight on CBS.(HAY CANADIANS? Remember Forever Knight? Same thing, basically.) After 10pm, there's lots of flipping until I pass out.

Weekend afternoons are made of suck and fail. Even with digital cable, there's nothing on. Nothing for me to watch until 8pm on Saturdays when Naruto comes on. When whatever came on for the hour after that didn't suck, I didn't have to move it off of Cartoon Network until I went to bed at 1 am. But now, 9-10 is pretty random, then I watch Adult Swim. Lately I started watching The Soup at 1am since they moved the last few episodes of Blood+ to 12:30am, so I figure I might as well stay up.

Sundays are no good until around 6 or 7pm, when I watch my crappy reality shows on VH1. Then it's bedtime.

Last edited by Raven Nightshade (04-25-2008 07:08:38 PM)

Sometimes I wonder if I'm ever gonna make it home again.It's so far and out of sight.I really need someone to talk to and nobody elseKnows how to comfort me tonight.

Re: Fans of Le Television

Emiemipoemi wrote:

Golden Girls

Classic.

Hmm...favorite television shows. Well for things that are actually airing for the first time now, I'd say Mythbusters is my favorite. For imported shows that are older (but in some cases still "new" in the U.S.) I love Keeping Up Appearances (no longer airs at its usual time... ), Are You Being Served (ditto), As Time Goes By (ditto again--BBC hath forsaken me!), Ninja Warrior, and Unbeatable Banzuke. I'm also fond of You Are What You Eat, but since BBC America only seems to have a few episodes, I've kind of stopped watching it, as I'm tired of seeing the same people lose the same weight over and over again. It's a confidence booster though--even I never ate that much bad stuff!

I really prefer having sports on. Great background noise while I'm doing other things.

Re: Fans of Le Television

I don't watch much television at all -- and when I do, it tends to be later than it was originally shown and on DVD. But my recommendations would be along the lines of a hearty endorsement of satyreyes' suggestion of Firefly, and then I veer off into shows people likely have never heard of. Like Life On Mars, the end of which was kind of like SKU for me because I started screaming at the television (I didn't like it at first, and then I realised what had happened and was...slightly more okay with it...). Peep Show is terrible and absolutely fucking hilarious. Doctor Who ranges from the terribly tacky to the sublime to the hilariously bad IN ALL WAYS BAD AND GOOD. The Insider's Guide To Happiness is another show that reminds me of SKU, but unlike Life On Mars the ending didn't fuck with me for days afterward. And Afterlife is fantastic, from what I've seen, but I need to watch the rest of it. Suffice it to say, if you like stories about mediums and psychics that are not only scary as fuck but actually GOOD, this show is for you.

...oh, and Flight of the Conchords. Always good for a chuckle. And The Tudors? Hardly historically accurate but...er, that's not why I'm watching.

It takes forty-seven New Zealanders eight months to make just one batch of 42 Below Vodka. ...luckily, that leaves one of us free to be Prime Minister.

Re: Fans of Le Television

I'm currently borrowing the first few seasons of The Simpsons on DVD. There's not a single episode on those DVDs that I haven't seen, but it's nice to watch them now that I know what a lot of things are... Like sex, homosexuality, and a million other things. I started watching a South Park marathon, which I had never really watched until just recently. I was lucky enough to see the episode with "Les bos," which was mentioned in one of NajiMinkin's videos.

I love sitcoms. Friends, Just Shoot Me, That 70's Show, along with a bunch of others that I can't think of at the moment.

I have been watching Spanish soap operas to practice understanding Spanish, and I can kind of understand them. There was this one were this weird guy was dating a girl who worked at a dance academy, until she found out that he, uh... Something about a mall. But then he did something involving the mall without telling his friend, and that pissed him off, but he got the girl to like him again. Oh, and she wanted to go to Buenos Aires to learn the tango, and so he got tickets for them to go there together.

Re: Fans of Le Television

Been a while since I watched much regular TV. The last two or so seasons of Gilmore Girls broke my heart, and I haven't been able to go back. I just couldn't handle the smashing of characters' personalities that they'd spent years meticulously developing, and the terrible, terrible storyline Maybe I should come back, though. I'm a couple seasons behind on Galactica now, but I loved what I saw. I'm also a bit intrigued by Sarah Connor Chronicles; is it any good, guys?

Re: Fans of Le Television

I hardly ever watch TV these days; my eyes are constantly glued to various types of screens and monitors at work. When I have the chance and the inclination, I do like to get my sci-fi fix (Star Trek, Firefly, really trying hard to like BSG but it's just not working out), or perhaps animated sit-coms (Simpsons, Family Guy). The Daily Show and Colbert Report are good too, though I haven't watched in quite a while. I've also grown to like Law & Order: CI because my station's showing it, and Goren is always entertaining.

Re: Fans of Le Television

I'm not huge on television (not including anime). I generally (sadly) go for watching the most hilariously trashy tv shows I can, as I can never really bring myself to get involved with actually gripping series (I hate how they never end no matter how crappy they become!). There are a few shows I watch religiously, though.

I'm a huge fan of Brian Fuller series. Dead Like Me is my favorite, though I'm really enjoying Pushing Daisies as well (can't wait until it comes back on air!). I still need to get around to buying Wonderfalls. I watched the first episode and really need to catch more.

Firefly was a pretty good series as well. I finished it last summer. It shouldn't have been cancelled.

I watch 30 Rock as well. I haven't been enjoying the new episodes as much as the ones earlier this season, but I guess that everything might just be a little rusty after the writer's strike. I'll give it its time. I love Arrested Development, and I always get excited to see Will Arnett on screen!

I'm not huge on teenage series, but Daria is one of my favorite series about an atypical lead character and I find My So-Called Life to be really well done for a show about high schoolers as well.

Add me in to those who watch America's Next Top Model. It's pretty much inescapable now considering it's always airing on both MTV and VH1. I don't think that I would ever have given the show a second viewing were it not for Elyse Sewell . She's the greatest reality show contestant of all time! She made watching generally attractive girls bitch each other out on national television even more entertaining! I also watch Top Chef occasionally, as far as reality tv goes. I mostly just get my fix from the clips on The Soup, though.

Re: Fans of Le Television

Re: Fans of Le Television

Oh, my God! Hayama and I watch a lot of the same stuff! I actually missed the previous cycle of Top Model because of Pushing Daisies! My brother and I are sooooo addicted to that show. And Wonderfalls was so awesome! It pissed me off something fierce when they took it off after nine episodes. Thank goodness for DVD.

What is it with the Fox shows that are super brilliant, but keep getting canceled too soon? Wonderfalls, Firefly, Arrested Development.

And I Daria! I haven't missed an episode, and I saw both movies. I really wish MTV would wise up and put it on DVD.

Other things I watch: My Life on the D-List ( Kathy Griffin), Work Out, Blow Out, The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, South Park, Drawn Together (when it was on), Mind of Mencia, anything involving Paula Deen, Avatar: The Last Airbender, As Told By Ginger, Danny Phantom, Dirty Jobs, and Mythbusters.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm ever gonna make it home again.It's so far and out of sight.I really need someone to talk to and nobody elseKnows how to comfort me tonight.

Re: Fans of Le Television

Wow! More Wonderfalls fans! After The X-Files ended, that was the only series that really grabbed my interest, so of course it got cancelled after 4 episodes. (incidentally, some of the creative staff were XF alumni! ) My DVD set of that is one of my prized possessions... I really need to watch it again, it's such a great series.

I was also a fan of The 4400 (even through the somewhat unfocused 3rd and 4th seasons) until that got axed... I have all of those DVD sets too, with the 4th season being released next month.

Nowadays, I don't really watch tv at all. Like, really. I am not following any series right now, so my TV watching - such as there is - is limited to whatever interests me on Cartoon Network/[adult swim], Discovery/History (oh yeah, Mythbusters rules and stuff), and catching up on the news on MSNBC (Countdown with Keith Olbermann is the only program I set time aside for every weeknight!).

Oh yeah, I almost forgot some others...Kids in the Hall (I have seasons 1-3 on DVD, working on getting the rest)Home Movies (I have all the DVD sets)Ghost Hunters (I'll watch on Sci-Fi when I catch it)

Re: Fans of Le Television

All these fabulous, intelligent people with such wonderful taste and only 1 (edit:2! missed one the first time) mention of Arrested Development? It might be the greatest thing ever on TV. Maybe.

I'm also an ANTM addict, and The West Wing is my current drug of choice. It's all I think about all day. Sexual Fantasy Time has been replaced with West Wing Fantasy Time (but they're almost the same thing ) I'm all about Daily Shows and Colbert Reports on re-runs.

Basically I live for comedy. Family Guy, Simpsons, 30 Rock, Scrubs, The Office, Friends, That 70's Show, I could go for about an hour. Comedy is what I wanna do with my life, so I love watching it.

I can't watch Malcolm in the Middle anymore though--Bradley Whitford is married to Malcolm's mom and it's just too depressing that he is unavailable for me.

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I decided to check Rome out after Yasha brought it up, since i'd heard a few things about it before. I've gone through the first few episodes now, and it is pretty neat. Thanks for the tip (and all the others from everyone else too, I'll try to get around to more of them).

Re: Fans of Le Television

Akio, you have nice turns of phrase, but your points aren't clear and you have no textual support. I can't give this a passing grade. ~ Professor Arisa Konno, Eng 1001 (Freshman Literature and Composition)